Conservation District states role to guard resources

Friday

Roy Borgfeld presented the Pike County Conservation District's annual report to the Lehman Township Board of Supervisors during their May 18 bi-monthly meeting.

Roy Borgfeld presented the Pike County Conservation District's annual report to the Lehman Township Board of Supervisors during their May 18 bi-monthly meeting.

Borgfeld, a member of the conservation districts board of directors, discussed the mission of the conservation district and the duties that they perform in the county.

"Contrary to popular belief, we are not just a bunch of tree huggers," Borgfeld said.

The conservation district, established in 1956, is responsible for conserving natural resources and creating programs to reduce pollution of these resources within Pike County. It carries the formidable task of balancing conservation with growth and development in the county.

Borgfeld explained that there are more than 60 miles worth of utility line projects taking place in the county, including electrical transmission and gas lines. The district is responsible for evaluating right-of-ways, access roads, equipment usage, inspections and various project permits.

One of the most important duties of the district is to protect the county's waterways. Borgfeld said many of the projects taking place in the county stretch across numerous wetlands and streams. Because Pike County has some of the highest quality streams in the commonwealth, the conservation district works hard to protect them.

"These pristine waters are pretty rare in Pennsylvania, so it's kind of important that we try to hold on to that," Borgfeld said.

Supervisor Chairman John Sivick reported that the National Park Service has been having trouble with littering and illegal dumping within the park. The township and the park service are working together in an effort to identify these individuals. After a bit of investigative work, they recently caught one offender who dumped 15 bags of trash along Little Egypt Road. With many roadside projects under way in the Monroe and Pike counties region over the past month, Sivick said the park service and township officials will continue investigating other instances of dumping and littering in the area.

"It has been nice working with the National Park Service with this, but it's just a shame that it's needed," Sivick commented.

In other news:

The Walker Bros. Circus submitted a request to utilize the Lehman Community Park on June 24. The board approved the application pending any issues that Township Solicitor Robert Bernathy may find in the agreement upon his return. The board approved the request of the Delaware Football League to use the township's municipal building during four dates this summer. Sivick announced that the annual spring clean-up went very well this year. Since a separate dumpster was set aside for metals, Sivick said the process was much quicker this year. During the roadmaster report, Roadmaster Sivick said crews have been busy cleaning leaves and other debris out of drains, cutting grass along the side of township roads and picking up litter thrown from cars. Sivick once again commented that it is a shame that people continue to litter instead of throwing trash in the proper place. Sivick thanked those who came out to support him during the May 17 primary election and said he looks forward to their support in the upcoming election in November.

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